AUSTIN, Texas — Alexandra Aponte is a parent with two kids at Becker Elementary: one in pre-K and one in kindergarten. She enrolled them at the school to be part of the dual language program.

"There's been a lot of studies that show that the way the brain develops while learning two languages can be beneficial long term," Aponte said.

But their situation could change, since Becker Elementary is one of 13 schools that could close as part of a consolidation plan by Austin ISD, driven by budget constraints and declining enrollment.

As part of the plan, four schools – Pickle Elementary School, Wooten Elementary School, Odom Elementary School and Sánchez Elementary School – would be repurposed to offer campus-wide Spanish dual language programs. These schools would be non-zoned, meaning s

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